Waiting For the Sunrise
by surestsmile
Summary: The darkness is always deepest before the dawn. But Wakka is not afraid.


Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts

Waiting For the Sunrise

"Wakka? What are you doing out here?"

He was sure that Riku hadn't meant to sound so sleepy and confused, but it was clear that he wasn't used to waking up early in the morning. There was the crunch of shoes on soft soil behind him, and then the younger teen appeared, plopping down beside him at the edge of the small cliff that overlooked their island, battling a yawn and losing badly. Wakka hid a small smile at seeing Riku look so off-guard for one.

"I'm watching, ya."

"What's there to watch?" Riku asked almost crabbily, hands clasped around his bare arms in an attempt to block out the cold blasts of sea breeze. "It's all dark out there," he said. "And why is it so cold?"

"Wanna share?" He opened the blanket he had wrapped around him, offering it to the other teen. "It's always cold at night."

The childish, put-off look on the normally stoic and confident face was priceless. Even in the dark gloom, his eyes had adjusted enough to see the almost pout as Riku struggled to accept his offer. "Ya'll catch a cold if ya don't, Riku."

Grudgingly, Riku shifted closer to him, pulling the cloth around his shivering shoulders. "Don't you dare tell Sora or Tidus about this," he threatened. Wakka looked at him, and then away, shaking his head. He didn't understand why the other teen was always so defensive of himself.

"About what, ya?" he replied casually.

He could see those green eyes widen at him before turning away. "Nothing, Wakka." Riku shifted even closer to him, drawn by his warmth. And then, almost softly as if the wind had spoken instead of Riku, "Thanks."

"No problem."

Wakka never believed in putting airs about himself. It just seemed to be too much work for too little reward, and frankly, it just wasn't him. Riku gave a derisive snort at his reply, and then they just sat together in the silence for a while. Eventually, (and he wasn't sure even when) Riku was leaning slightly against him, as if he was feeling sleepy again.

"What were you doing out here? Aren't you afraid that no one's out here with you?"

He shrugged, and Riku jerked away at the movement, as if he realized belatedly that he had been leaning on him. "The dark's not so scary if I got something to look forward to."

"You mean if you get used to the darkness, you won't be afraid."

"No, I don't mean that, ya." He closed his eyes, smiling even as the sea breeze whipped through his short hair. "I don't think anyone will get used to the dark. When I close my eyes, sometimes I'm still scared."

"Aren't you glad I came then?" He could hear the smirk in Riku's voice.

"Ya."

"But it still doesn't answer why you're out here. Or why I'm out here. I should have been in the tent back there, still sleeping with Sora and Tidus." He could feel Riku shiver next to him. "I didn't know it could get so cold out here. Or so dark." Then, almost as an afterthought, "I'm not afraid of the darkness."

"I never said you were, ya."

"Well, you didn't say what made you stop being afraid." Defensive, that was what Riku was. What Riku defined.

"On the mainland, they always said that it's the darkest before the dawn." Now, the strong breeze made the both of them shiver. "It's scary, isn't it?"

Riku's voice was stuttering. "I'm…I'm not scared."

"Of course ya not. But look, ya. Here's my reason for being here."

Where there was darkness around them, he could see the faintest tinge of pink and gold peeking over the sea, slowly but surely driving the night away. Beside him, he heard Riku suck in a breath. 

"Whoa…"

"It's beautiful, ya? Kind of makes you forget about the dark. Kind of makes you hopeful about things. Kind of makes you feel that everything's gonna be just fine."

There was the crunch of shoes on soft soil behind him.

"Wakka? Who are you talking to?"

He turned his head, tilting it a little upwards and back and looking at an older but still confused-looking Tidus.

"Just remembering something." He glanced slightly to his side, where Riku used to sit. "The sunrise's just beautiful, ya?"

"Uh huh. If you say so, Wakka."

"They'll come back," he said amicably. "I'll make Riku wait for the sunrise with me again."


End file.
